community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Potters Mills, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in summer (83rd percentile) and lowest in spring (66th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Potters Mills?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Potters Mills, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Soybeans: about 59 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Potters Mills
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SE.
How Potters Mills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 66th | 76th | 57th |
| Pennsylvania | 77th | 66th | 83rd | 77th |
| Ridge and Valley | 74th | 26th | 89th | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 67% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Potters Mills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Centre Hall 4 mi · Spring Mills 5 mi · Potlicker Flats 5 mi · Milroy 6 mi · Siglerville 7 mi · Pleasant Gap 8 mi
All towns in Pennsylvania · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Potters Mills (40.8024, -77.6271); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.